In Search of a Genie

Diwali Celebrations - Bangalore 2009

I spent most part of my long weekend in the company of my laptop. But I did manage to squeeze in a few hours to celebrate Diwali with my friends on Saturday evening. I'm quite sure that these images will not see the light of the day until 2010 Diwali, once i chuck it into the abyss of my hard disk. So I chose to edit them now. Hope you guys had a safe, fun Diwali.. I sure did.

Sowmya was our official torch light :)

Kruti - our hostess

Kunal threatens Sowmya. Its Kunal's 'surprise' birthday cake on display!

Meagan is already scared of the weird uncle :$

Laura and kids watch the fireworks burst in the neighbourhood.

Sowmya, Meagan and my sis

Divya and Kruti's dad were by far the most enthusiastic of the lot!

Yes yes. For a sec, I thought I had turned deaf too.

The demise of our special (= most expensive) cracker happened in such a short time that I'm honestly surprised that I did manage to freeze the first few moments of its existence. (Please note the 'dark shadow' alias 'the cool dude' alias 'Kunal Basu' walking away as if he is on an evening stroll)

Lamp Posts, K R Market

[ Outtake from a group show called "Places I Like" that's opening on August 14, 6.30pm at the Goethe Instistute on CMH Rd. If you are in Bangalore, please try and make it to the opening.]

Crows on a Lamp Post

[ Outtake from a group show called "Places I Like" that's opening on August 14, 6.30pm at the Goethe Instistute on CMH Rd. If you are in Bangalore, please try and make it to the opening.]

The permanent (or almost) residents of the City Market, Bangalore.

Paramount Stores, Bangalore

[ Outtake from a group show called "Places I Like" that's opening on August 14, 6.30pm at the Goethe Instistute on CMH Rd. If you are in Bangalore, please try and make it to the opening.]

I found this little store and its curious neighbors on Narasimha Raja Road (near city market). The business is over 60 years old and the store older. The shopkeeper (my apologies for missing the note in which i had scribbled his name and age) shuttles between Kerala and Bangalore, between family and business. He has five daughters and doesn't like to think too much about what would happen to the store or his business after his demise. "But I will run it as long as I can..... "

The Florist

This is a scene found inside 'Hotel King' on SJP road near the city market, Bangalore.

You will find people utilizing spaces to work at the oddest places in India. This is more true for areas around markets. The street vendors who come from near by villages, those especially who do not have a ready-made product to sell invariably find a way around the problem of finding a work space in the city. But what I really found surprising was that despite the encroachment issues you read about in the city newspapers, people (like the manager of this hotel for example) seem to empathise with the plight of these hardworking migrants.

The Story of How I Trekked in a Pair of Converse Shoes

Photo by Aniruddha Das (Pictured above from left : Jay, Vishwa, Bala and Naveen)

In this post, I do not attempt to provide a wholesome guide to the dos-and-don't s of trekking. Nor do i attempt to layout the route map of the trek we made. For these, please visit the official site of the tour guide. Here, i plan to simply give a first hand account (mostly through pictures) of my very first trekking experience with the AOL Adventure Club. Bear with me.

Photo by Aniruddha Das

My idea of a trek (I realized later) was somewhat contorted. Being a photographer, spending long hours in the woods trying to get this shot or that somehow amounted to a 'trekking experience' in my mind. I was, of course, in for a surprise.

Photo by Sandeep S K

Photo by Aniruddha Das

At 4am in the morning, on July 18, i set out on an adventure with 12 faces i had hardly known before. We drove for almost 6hours (I was told) through some scenic locations - most of which i missed because i was happily snoring in the car :0/

Photo by Jyothy Karat At the Malle Mahadeshwara village. It was fun meeting the villagers while we shopped for vegetables to ccok for dinner.

Photo by Jyothy Karat

This cow seemed to be a permanent installation in front of the ancient temple of Malle Mahadeshwara

Photo by Sandeep S K

Vishwa and our guide. When the journey began.

Photo by Aniruddha Das

(Where the tarred road ends. From left : Jay, Mischial, Gayatri, Bala, Naveen)

I remember feeling mildly surprised when i first saw the tiny-almost-empty bags that everybody was carrying. At the time, i was oblivious to the look of concern i had seen on their faces. Some of them very politely stared at the great hound of a bag that i was carrying and inquired about how on earth do i expect to trek wearing that pair of converse shoe. I shrugged.

Photo by Sandeep S K

The starting point was Male Mahadeshwara Hills (MM Hills) in the outskirts of Karnataka and we were expected to trek 24 Km (15 miles) to reach the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border at Palar. Well, we ended up trekking 29Km (18miles) in two days. I barely survived.

Photo by I don't know who!

(Pictured : Nidhi, Vishal, Sandy and Sunil)

By Sandy

Apart from a few bugs, beetles and some ants that started to crawl all over me when my 'breaks' extended for too long, I must say that i did not catch sight of a single living creature anywhere around me. I was somewhat surprised and incredibly happy that someone managed to get a shot like that with his point and shoot camera. By far, the best from the trip. Sandy, you definitely have a bright future in photography!

Photo by Jyothy Karat (The jaunters takes a break for lunch)

Photo by Jyothy Karat

Photo by Aniruddha Das

Photo by Naveen Kumar (After the 12Km trek on the first day, AOL Jaunters chill out at our guest house in Nagamale)

Photo by Jyothy Karat (The young girl who came begging for alms)

Photo by Naveen Kumar (Hogging jackfruit. From left : Nidhi, Jyothy, Gayatri, Mischial)

Photo by Jyothy Karat (When some other guests at the place attempted to make biriyani)

Photo by Jyothy Karat (Saravanan devours a hearty meal of rice and rasam)

Photo by Jyothy Karat (Bala says good night)

Photo by Sandeep S K (Ganja Sadhu : Sandeep's discovery at the foot of Nagamale)

Photo by Jyothy Karat (The royalty of the village. Everyone makes way for them)

Photo by Jyothy Karat (This feet belongs to Gayatri : When we climbed barefoot to visit the temple on top of Nagamale)

Photo by Jay (View from Nagamale)

Photo by I don't know who! (When three becomes a crowd)

Photo by Jay (Disclaimer : This image has been manipulated to suite viewership under PG. For those interested in viewing the exclusive, explicit picture, please contact its proud owner, Jay ;0D )

Photo by Jyothy Karat Photo by don't know who!

When we met some security guards in the forest on Day 2

Photo by Sandeep S K

Photo by Naveen Kumar On our way back to Bangalore. Milestone NewYork! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PS :

Photo by Jay

(From left : Jyothy, Mischial, Gayatri, Naveen, Saravanan, Viswa, Ani, Bala)

On Day 1, predictably, I did not get quite far before my face bloomed into a red hot tomato, panting like a mad mongrel and announcing to anybody who would listen that I'm going to die this very minute. I would just flop down on the ground and refuse to budge. Blessed are the souls of Bala, Jay, Saravan, Sandy, Maadesh (our young guide) and most specifically Sunil. They lunged me forward.

Photo by Jay (Bala)

Photo by Jyothy Karat

(Jay)

Photo by Sandeep S K

(Saravanan)

Photo by Saravanan

(Sandeep)

Photo by Jyothy Karat (Maadesh)

Photo by Sandeep S K

(Sunil) Despite all odds, I'm glad i went on the trip. I'm glad i met these wonderful people. Am glad I'm part of AOL Jaunters.

Photo by Jyothy Karat

AOL Jaunters (Clockwise from left : Vishwa, Sunil, Sandeep, Saravanan, Vishal, Nidhi, Gayatri, Mischial, Ani, Bala, Jay and Naveen

Photo by Sandeep S K We will be back. With another story, another adventure.